Paul Sérusier (French, 1864–1927)
The Harvest of Buckwheat
INV-2350
Paul Sérusier (French, 1864–1927)1899
The Harvest of Buckwheat
Paul Sérusier (French, 1864–1927) →nineteenth centurynabis19th centurypaintingoil on canvas
Date
1899
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
129.5 × 78.5 cm (51 × 30 7/8 in.)
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Location
Chicago, IL
Credit
Gift of Lucia Woods Lindley
The Harvest of Buckwheat demonstrates how Paul Sérusier’s interest in Japanese art influenced his painting. The simplified forms and asymmetrical composition are elements also found in Japanese prints, which circulated widely in France in the late 1800s. The vertical format, too, recalls the panels of Japanese wall hangings or screens.
Sérusier shared an affinity for Japanese aesthetics with his fellow members of the Nabis, a group of artists whose name, coined by poet Henri Cazalis, comes from the Hebrew word for prophet. The group believed that painting should be decorative as opposed to purely representational. As a result, they sought formats and approaches that departed from traditional easel painting.
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